ELLEN VAN LAER - Æ STUDIO
Æ STUDIO, based in Antwerp, is a four-person interior design practice specialising in residential projects.
For Ellen Van Laer, interior architect and founder of Æ Studio, each project is a collaborative effort between studio and client, ensuring every design is tailored to the client’s needs and preferences. Over the past 14 years, the studio has worked on everything from houses and apartments to holiday homes and pool houses, with occasional commercial commissions.
Whether it’s a kitchen renovation, a living space, a bedroom, dressing room, bathroom or a full-scale project, Æ Studio handles it all. From groundwork and structural construction to demolition, technical installations and complete interior finishing. Whatever the scope, the team approaches each project with the same intention; to reflect the client’s personality. “Every project can be completely different in style,” says Ellen. “What matters is that it suits the client, the location and the character of the building. We consider where the house is located, the type of building it is and its original architectural style.”
Starting from the architectural context is key, she explains. “We always make sure the architectural context remains visible in the final design.” When it comes to residential work, however, personalisation is essential. “These are spaces where people live in every day,” Ellen adds. “We’re not creating a showroom; the design has to fit their life and their personality.”
Whenever the studio begins a new project, they balance function, form, and personality by combining material expertise with a strong affinity for natural elements. The search for materials always starts from scratch, though certain favourites, such as specific wood types, tend to reappear. “It’s all driven by the atmosphere we want to create, and often we even start from the materials that help shape that concept.”
The importance of the material shows in how they present even the first concept to their clients. “There’s no initial proposal without a table full of samples,” Ellen says. “Renders and images help explain the concept, but those visuals are more a tool to show what we want to do with the materials and finishes. Nothing replaces the experience of physically touching and comparing materials on the table. It makes the whole design tangible.”
Over the years, The Hub has become embedded in that research phase. For Ellen, it serves both as a source of inspiration and a practical way to bring different materials together. “Before, we would visit one supplier for marble and another for fabrics, and only back at the office could you see how everything worked together. Now it’s all in one place. You can walk around and discover materials you might not have considered in the first place.”
Today, the team visits The Hub not only for research, but also together with clients for project meetings. “For clients, it’s a great place to experience materials in person. For example, when selecting a floor and having a specific type in mind, it’s valuable to have such a broad range available in one location. We keep samples in our own office, but it’s nothing compared to the full selection here.”
"For many clients, it feels like stepping into a new world. The atmosphere makes it easier to put all options on the table and show that there are endless possibilities".
Ellen and her team often use the sample room upstairs, where the full material collection is housed. “You can really take your time browsing and laying materials side by side. Along the way, we sometimes end up changing our minds completely.”
